Politics · India Bureau
Maharashtra launches ambitious drug eradication campaign targeting 2029 deadline
Maharashtra has become the first Indian state to adopt a comprehensive anti-narcotics policy designed to eliminate drug cultivation, production and consumption within the next five years. The cabinet-approved initiative coordinates multiple government departments across administrative levels to tackle the drug menace through enforcement and public awareness.
LSN India ·
The Maharashtra government on Tuesday approved an ambitious policy framework aimed at creating a drug-free state by 2029, marking the first such coordinated statewide effort in the country. The comprehensive approach combines strict law enforcement measures with extensive public awareness campaigns, mobilising all state departments to address drug-related challenges at their root.
Under the policy, authorities will intensify crackdowns on cultivation of crops used in illegal drug production, as well as manufacturing, trafficking, distribution and consumption of both natural and synthetic narcotics. The government statement emphasised that this multi-pronged strategy represents an unprecedented coordinated intervention across India's states.
Implementation will follow a hierarchical structure spanning village, district, divisional and state administrative levels, with clearly defined responsibilities assigned at each tier. This decentralised approach aims to ensure ground-level effectiveness while maintaining policy coherence across Maharashtra's diverse regions.
The policy's success will depend on sustained coordination among various state departments and active community participation in awareness initiatives. Officials indicated that the framework would be regularly monitored to assess progress toward the 2029 target date.